18/07/2025

SPORTS FRIDAY | JULY 18, 2025

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‘Incredible’ Stokes puts body on line for England: Root

SHORTS Sabalenka out of Canadian Open WORLD No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the WTA Canadian Open tournament in Montreal due to fatigue, Tennis Canada announced yesterday. The 27-year-old from Belarus, runner-up at the Australian and French Opens, comes off semifinal runs at Wimbledon and Berlin and titles at Madrid and Miami. “I’m looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to skip Montreal,” Sabalenka said. Missing the July 27-Aug 7 event leaves the reigning US Open champion only one major tuneup, at Cincinnati in August, before she tries to defend her crown on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts. “I’ll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I’m already looking forward to seeing you all next year,” Sabalenka said. “Thanks for your understanding and support – it means the world to me.” Sabalenka was upset in the Wimbledon semifinals by American Amanda Anisimova. “We’re obviously disappointed that Aryna won’t be with us this year,” tournament director Valerie Tetreault said. Robinson, Jacobs set up NZ win AN UNBEATEN century partnership between Tim Robinson and new cap Bevon Jacobs set up a 21-run win for New Zealand in their tri series match against South Africa in Harare yesterday. Robinson hit a career-best 75 not out and Jacobs was unbeaten on 44 as they took the Black Caps from a precarious 70-5 to 173-5 after they were sent in to bat. South Africa, who won the tournament opener against Zimbabwe on Monday, were bowled out for 152. New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy took three wickets each on a pitch on which the pacemen of both teams induced false shots with short-pitched deliveries. “The Proteas put us under pressure in the power play,” said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner. But he hailed an “outstanding” partnership between Robinson and Jacobs, who came together midway through the 10th over. Robinson hit six fours and three sixes in a 57-ball innings, while the strongly-built Jacobs showed why he was signed by Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians before making his international debut. He hit a four and three sixes off 30 balls. Windies all-rounder Russell to retire TWO-TIME Twenty20 World Cup winner Andre Russell will retire from international cricket at age 37 after the second T20 match against Australia on July 22 in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said yesterday. All-rounder Russell, who won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016, has earned 84 international caps in the format, scoring three fifties and taking 61 wickets. The white-ball specialist, who played only one Test match, also appeared in 56 One-Day Internationals (ODI), taking 70 wickets. He last played in the 50-over format in 2019. “Words cannot explain what it meant. To represent the West Indies has been one of the proudest achievements in my life,” Russell said in a statement. “When I was a kid, I did not expect to get to this level, but the more you start to play and get to love the sport, you realise what you can achieve. This inspired me to become better because I wanted to leave a mark in the maroon colours and become an inspiration to others.” West Indies host Australia in the first T20 of the five-match series on Sunday in Kingston. Australia won their Test series 3-0.

ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes put his body on the line to inspire his side’s dramatic victory over India at Lord’s, according to teammate Joe Root. Stokes took five wickets, scored 77 runs and delivered a crucial run-out of Rishabh Pant in two innings of relentless effort from the all-rounder. Driven on by Stokes, England won the third Test by 22 runs on a pulsating final day to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Most remarkable of all was the

own attempts to stop Stokes pushing himself past the limit during his own captaincy. “You can try, but it doesn’t make any difference. I tried for five years,” Root said. “I mentioned it but he doesn’t always listen to me. He didn’t listen to me when I was captain! “That’s his call now. It was an incredible effort to be able to do that, but that’s just how he’s built, I guess. He’s just desperate to be the man and make things happen. “It’s a great sign for us moving forward, it really is, because that’s back to his best. He’s got that mentality and that desire to win games and we’re lucky to have him as our leader.” At one stage in the first innings, England head coach Brendon McCullum sent a message via bowling consultant Tim Southee instructing his skipper to take a breather. Root admits he was also concerned that Stokes might hit breaking point but now accepts that there is only one man who truly knows how far he can go. “I was just panicking that he wasn’t going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries but he clearly trusts his body now,” he said. “He knows what he’s doing and he’s got a good handle on where he’s at physically.” After the match, Stokes admitted his tiredness, telling reporters that he could not wait to “just lie on my bed for four days and then be raring to go for (next week’s fourth Test at) Manchester”. The Old Trafford Test starts on July 23.– AFP

Ben Stokes. – REUTERSPIC

workload that the injury prone Stokes put his body through as he bowled 44 overs in total, including gruelling spells of 9.2 and 10 overs on the decisive final day. It was the most

the 34-year-old has bowled in over six years and came after two severe hamstring injuries in the past 12 months. Root watched on in awe, remembering his

Wolff’s boss wants Max Mercedes supremo made telling Verstappen comments as move edges closer M ERCEDES-BENZ chief executive Ola Kallenius, who is effectively Toto Wolff’s boss, has made it clear that he would like to see Max whether to sign Verstappen has an obvious answer. At the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, he was asked about the speculation by Sky Germany . “The best driver wants to have the best car,” he said. Sport , the Mercedes-Benz chairman has given his “green light” for Wolff to advance his pursuit of the four-time world champion.

Red Bull are doing everything they can to keep their star driver. Last week, team principal and CEO Christian Horner was sacked after 20 years in his role, with

Verstappen in the team’s colours. The Silver Arrows have held talks with the four-time world champion’s entourage as they look to entice him to Brackley for 2026. Wolff’s inter est in Verstappen is not a new story. The Austrian targeted the 27-year-old’s signature last season after Lewis Hamilton decided to swap Mercedes for Ferrari, but at the time, Red Bull were fighting for the Dutchman’s fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship title, while the W15 looked miserable to drive. Now, however, the story is different. Red Bull are fourth in the Constructors’ Championship standings with all but seven of their 172 points coming

“And that’s our job, to bring the best package together. The cards will be reshuffled in 2026. New order with new rules. That’s also an opportunity.

Laurent Mekies appointed in an attempt to turn the ship around. He will receive upgrades immediately, with a package prepared for the Belgian Grand Prix. If Wolff can lure Verstappen to Brackley, he’ll have to make a difficult decision about who to sideline.

Who knows? But I think Max would look good in silver, wouldn’t he?” Over a year later, Kallenius may get his wish. According to La Gazzetta d e l l o

Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are homegrown Mercedes talents, and both are out of contract at the end of the year. Worse still, both are performing to a high level, making it difficult to pick between proven ability and future potential. Unfortunately for Russell, until now, he has been linked as the man most likely to depart. He’s not panicking, though. “Of course, there are lots of conversations, lots of rumours, and all of these being pointed towards me, but from my side, that isn’t really going to be the case,” he said. “I want to continue with Mercedes into the future. The fact is, Toto has never let me down.” – Express Newspapers “I don’t regret that move in itself,” he continued. “I think it brought me a lot in that sense, in terms of experience and understanding of what I had at Red Bull at the time. “But I think the human element was lost a bit. “I think it would have been more dignified to talk about it openly and perhaps not stick to that clause.” Vettel, whose final two years were with Aston Martin, did make a point of revealing he remained on good terms with his penultimate team, adding: “Overall, I had a great time, and I still have a great relationship with everyone I worked with back then.” – Express Newspapers

from Verstappen, and Mercedes are a more consistent threat for

p o d i u m finishes. With that change has come intensified speculation surrounding a move to Wolff’s squad. For Kallenius, the debate about

Max Verstappen. – REUTERSPIC

Vettel makes loyalties crystal clear

SEBASTIAN VETTEL might have spent six seasons with both Ferrari and Red Bull, but there’s no doubt which stint he remembers most fondly. The German icon retired from the sport after the 2022 season, with only three drivers having bettered his total of four world titles. The 38-year-old dominated the sport between 2010 and 2013. After being promoted from Toro Rosso, he won four consecutive Formula One crowns with Red Bull. His run was only ended by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, and he was unable to top the drivers’ standings again. That was despite his switch to the Scuderia

for the 2015 campaign. With the Italian giants, he twice finished second to Hamilton, but it was his time under Christian Horner that clearly resonated most. “The people and the moments we shared (at Red Bull), and how much it brought us together,” he told the ORF Sport am Sonntag podcast . “Even though I later had a very good time at Ferrari, a big part of me still identifies with Red Bull and Red Bull Racing.” Despite his admission, Vettel argued he doesn’t rue his decision to join Ferrari. However, he was bound by confidentiality over the nature of his contract, and said the clause did impact his behaviour.